The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FEAR THE GRAPE
Donning their white and purple pinstripes, the new-look Lake Erie Crushers took to their home field at Sprenger Health Care Stadium, kicking off their season against the Joliet Slammers, May 12. Find out how the Crushers did in Sports,
Each new season brings renewed excitement and anticipation when the Crushers return to Avon.
Since coming to town in 2009 and winning the Frontier League championship, the Crushers have been a fun, family-friendly product to the area for prices, but have seen a dip in attendance over the past few years.
But since purchasing the team last season, Lake Erie owner Tom Kramig has brought new life to the organization and saved his best for this season as the team went through a total facelift starting
from the inside out.
With the new-look Sprenger Stadium, the familiar red, black and white of the Crushers has changed to the roots, literally, of the area’s winery past with a new purple and white look.
Introducing all of the excitement in front of a packed house of 2,126, the Crushers and Manager Cam Roth, who is entering his first full season as the Crushers manager after replacing Chris Mongiardo in late June 2016, came out and put on a show to kick off the 2017 season.
“The color change and the rebranding and things like that, it just makes us closer with this community and the city of Avon, and that’s what we want to do in the long run,” Roth said. “We enjoy them coming out and giving us support.
“At first when you look at the colors and things like that, you didn’t get the best reaction. But when you see it in person, it’s a goodlooking uniform. We’ll play in the pinstripes today and I think Tom and Jacquline Kramig did a fantastic job with the rebranding, it’s easier said than done and you don’t know it until
you’re on the other end of that spectrum trying to take care of it.”
The Crushers have a new look. Although 12 players return from last season, 15 new faces have been introduced to the team and have energized Roth for the 98game season.
“I’m looking forward to it, the new acquisition in Jordan Dean as well as Cody Lenehan were big for us and even just bringing Connor Oliver back and Tanner Lubach coming in from the Angels’ system, the catcher, when you lose (Bryan) De La Rosa and Jose Barraza, it hurts you in the middle of the field. But we were able to find some pretty good gentlemen to come in and fill their shoes,” Roth said.